Guo Bingjiang
Thomas Kwok is a Hong Kong entrepreneur. He was born in Macau, raised in Hong Kong, and hails from Shiqi, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. He is the second son of Kwok Tak-seng, co-founder of Sun Hung Kai Properties, younger brother of the late Walter Kwok, and elder brother of Raymond Kwok.
Biography
Thomas Kwok was born with microtia, having no ear canals, and required surgery and hearing aids. During his childhood, his family operated a wholesale grocery business. From Primary 1 to Secondary 5, he studied at Salesian School and Salesian English School.[1] He graduated in 1969 and went to the United Kingdom for further education,[2] obtaining a Master's degree in Business Administration from London Business School and a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London.
He was formerly Joint Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited,[3] Chairman of Route 3 (CPS) Company Limited,[3] Co-Chairman of IFC Development Limited,[3][3] and former Independent Non-Executive Director of The Bank of East Asia Limited.[3]
In the property industry, he served as First Vice-President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong. He was appointed by the Hong Kong SAR Government to the Provisional Construction Industry Coordination Board and the Council for Sustainable Development. He also served as a member of the Business Advisory Group, the Land and Building Advisory Committee, the Registered Contractors Disciplinary Board, and the Industrial Affairs Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He was Chairman of the Property Management Committee of the Construction Association and an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Construction Association.
In community service, he served as a director of The Community Chest of Hong Kong, a member of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, and the Council of the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong. He was honored as an Honorary Citizen of Guangzhou and was a Standing Committee member of the 9th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Shanghai. He also contributed to his alma maters, with Room 409 at Salesian English School named after him.
He was appointed as a member of the Urban Council in 1991 and served until 1993.
In 1994, he converted to Protestant Christianity and was baptized in December with his wife Leung Kit Kuen.
On March 2, 2018, the government announced the revocation of Thomas Kwok's Silver Bauhinia Star and his status as Justice of the Peace.
Family
- Wife: Leung Kit Kuen
- Daughter: Kwok Hiu-yan (Noelle), former son-in-law: Lui Hing-yeung[4]
- Son: Kwok Kai-fai (Adam) (born 1983)
Imprisonment for Bribery
- On March 29, 2012, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) invited Sun Hung Kai Properties' Joint Chairmen Thomas Kwok and Raymond Kwok, and former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui to assist in a corruption investigation. That evening, the ICAC officially announced their arrests.[5][6]
- On July 13, 2012, ICAC officially charged former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui, Thomas Kwok, Raymond Kwok, SHKP Executive Director Thomas Chan, and former HKEX Senior VP Francis Kwan.
- On December 19, 2014, Thomas Kwok was convicted by a 7–2 jury verdict in the High Court for one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and was immediately remanded at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
- On December 23, 2014, the judge sentenced Thomas Kwok to 5 years in prison, a HKD 500,000 fine, and disqualification from being a company director for 5 years.
- On December 29, 2014, Thomas Kwok's legal team filed an appeal, claiming misdirection to the jury and irrational verdict.[7]
- On July 12, 2016, the Court of Final Appeal granted leave to appeal and approved his release on HKD 10 million bail.[8]
- On June 14, 2017, his final appeal was dismissed and he returned to prison.[9]
- On March 2, 2018, the government revoked his Silver Bauhinia Star and Justice of the Peace titles.[10]
- On March 21, 2019, he was released from Stanley Prison at 9:30 am.[11]
Honors
- Silver Bauhinia Star (revoked in 2018)
- Justice of the Peace (revoked in 2018)
See also
- Kwok Tak-seng family
Notes
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E7%82%B3%E6%B1%9F#cite_ref-1
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E7%82%B3%E6%B1%9F#cite_ref-1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E7%82%B3%E6%B1%9F#cite_ref-3
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E7%82%B3%E6%B1%9F#cite_ref-hkbea_4-0
- ↑ ICAC arrests Kwok brothers and Rafael Hui for alleged misconduct , Radio Television Hong Kong, March 29, 2012
- ↑ Investigation into collusion between officials and businessmen , RTHK, March 29, 2012
- ↑ Appeal filed in SHKP case , Apple Daily, December 29, 2014
- ↑ Kwok released from court, says life inside was orderly but better not to be there, Apple Daily, July 12, 2016
- ↑ Final appeal rejected, returned to prison, Apple Daily, June 14, 2017
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E7%82%B3%E6%B1%9F#cite_ref-10
- ↑ Thomas Kwok released from prison: "I have no resentment", Apple Daily, March 21, 2019
External links
- Members of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee
- Members of the CPPCC from Hong Kong
- Hong Kong businesspeople
- Hong Kong Protestants
- Sun Hung Kai Properties
- Bank of East Asia
- Alumni of Imperial College London
- People from Zhongshan, Guangdong
- Kwok Tak-seng family
- Hong Kong people who have served prison sentences
- People stripped of Hong Kong honors
- Former Urban Council members
- Honorary doctors of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Honorary doctors of Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Kwok family
- Alumni of Salesian School
- Alumni of Salesian English School
- People convicted of bribery
- Hong Kong criminals
- Alumni of London Business School